Trenton's 2012 crime rate surges in wake of police layoffs

TRENTON — In the aftermath of Trenton’s September 2011 mass police layoffs and officer demotions stands a police force with low morale and an increasing local crime rate as businesses and homeowners deal with a rising prevalence of robberies, burglaries and auto thefts in New Jersey’s capital city, according to data and city officials.

The latest Trenton police crime data comparing the first 15 weeks of 2011 with the first 15 weeks of 2012 show that overall crime is up 15.6 percent this year to date.

“The criminal element is aware of the lack of police presence. The criminals out here are no fools; they know (about the reduced police force) better than anyone,” said Trenton civic activist and Wilbur section resident Dion Clark. “Whenever there was a lack of police, crime would run more rampant. But in society, it runs deeper than that.”

“It’s a very serious problem, and it goes much deeper than just police,” Clark added. “Sure, we need law and order, but it’s just a mentality nowadays to maim and kill and do whatever you want to do. You have to have community input, church, family. ... We as a society have to straighten this out.”

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As of April 10, there have been 987 total crimes reported this year in Trenton compared with 854 reported at this point from one year ago, when the police force was fully staffed.

On Friday, Mack said high unemployment and a weak economy is contributing to Trenton’s rise in crime. To address that issue, Mack said he’s working on instituting a vocational program that would train 200 city residents in a career-oriented trade. “We’re hoping those type of things would reduce the violence,” Mack said.

The mayor, who in January unveiled a comprehensive crime-fighting initiative, also said he’ll “give our current plan a chance to work” and will support new Trenton Police Department Director Ralph Rivera Jr.

Mack said Rivera “brings stability to the department” and said the police officers respect Rivera and that Rivera respects the officers, which Mack said is “a recipe for success.”

As of April 10, the total number of thefts and sexual assaults in Trenton is down from a year ago, but the five other crime categories are up, according to the data. Robberies and burglaries are up almost 40 percent from where they stood last year to date.

Comparing the first 15 weeks of 2011 with the first 15 weeks of 2012, the number of burglaries during that period jumped from 263 to 366 and robberies jumped from 122 to 167. Year-to-date aggravated assaults jumped from 89 to 104, according to the city’s reported crime figures.

Year-to-date auto thefts have almost doubled, with 69 vehicles being reported stolen in the first 15 weeks of 2011 versus 133 being reported stolen in the first 15 weeks of this year.

Trenton businessman Harry Luna, a Latino Chamber of Commerce of Mercer County leader and former Trenton school board member, said the reduction in Trenton’s police force has left the city’s business and residential community in a position of feeling the need to fend for themselves and their families.

“We are taking precautions,” Luna said of city entrepreneurs, citing the use of security cameras, panic buttons and weapons for self-defense. “Before we would just call the police,” Luna said.

Luna said he himself is going to register to get a gun and said he knows of some residents who are buying illegal firearms for self-defense purposes. “I’m afraid more people are going to be taking matters into their own hands,” he said.

Among the dozens of laid off police officers were “young kids who were full of energy and went after the knuckleheads who were committing the crimes,” Luna said. “Some of the older police officers, no disrespect to them, they are not going to be chasing anybody and going into a crime-ridden areas by themselves.”

South Ward Councilman George Muschal said the Trenton Police Department has suffered a “loss of total morale” from Mack’s layoff plan, which trimmed the force by almost one-third and demoted some captains, lieutenants and sergeants to lower ranks — giving those demoted officers 15 percent pay cuts and putting the demoted sergeants into patrol officer duties.

“The main thing is, bring back the morale by bringing the cops back and promoting the rank as soon as possible,” Muschal said on Friday. “We can’t do more with less, and we need more police officers on the street. We need rank on the street to supervise our (officers).”